Bonjour, mon ami. You think you hold the better cards? A fatal mistake, Chère...” Welcome to my deck The Dead Man's Hand, a highly competitive Solo and Multiplayer Protection build that I brought with me straight from the shady alleys of New Orleans. Inspired by the legendary poker hand of fate, I stand completely alone on this battlefield. I act as the mysterious lone wolf that I have always been deep down in my heart. I completely forgo active allies, using my great, tragic love Rogue strictly from afar as a resource to keep her out of harm's way. By trimming this list down to a flawless, agile 40-card clockwork engine, I solve Protection's historic weakness (threat control) using the devastating new tech from Fear No Evil: In Harm's Way. While I dominate the board alone in true solo, this engine transforms me into the ultimate team player in multiplayer—absorbing lethal boss attacks for my teammates while simultaneously wiping threat off the board for the whole crew.A true thief relies on his physical agility and sharp wits, which is why my deck functions like kinetic clockwork. I use my hypnotic gaze and superhuman balance to make the villain's attacks slide right off me. I laugh charmingly in their face while absorbing their fury, converting that defensive momentum into game-ending offensive spikes. First, I build my solitary fortress by deploying Gambit's Guild Armor, my Armored Vest, and Innate Reflexes. This passive setup leans into my roots with the Thieves Guild and pushes my already extreme reflexes to a permanent DEF of 5. When my black eyes with their red irises light up in the dark, the event In Harm's Way becomes my ultimate wildcard. Since I play as a romantic rebel who lets no one get too close, and I control zero allies, I never pay the penalty tax. For just 3 resources, I deal 5 damage and remove 5 threat—a brilliant, thieving coup in a single action. While the villain crashes into my shield in frustration, I actively punish them with cards like Electrostatic Armor, The Best Offense..., and Preemptive Strike. An elegant strike from my Gambit's Staff, a quick wink, and the enemy suffers heavy retaliatory damage.“A good player sorts his hand before the stakes go up, n'est-ce pas?” Your starting hand dictates my tempo, so toss away early attack events to hunt for my equipment. Highest priority goes to my Molecular Acceleration and my Gambit's Staff, because kinetic energy is expensive and my economy needs to run from round 1. Next follow my Gambit's Guild Armor and the Armored Vest to scale my superhuman agility up to the magic number 5. Finally, you use The Thieves Guild and Unshakable to cash in on my criminal past for passive value once the board is fully under control.As an honorable thief, however, you must respect my complicated Rogue rule: the longing is deep, but do not play ma belle standardly! Having her on the battlefield distracts me and jacks up the cost of In Harm's Way to 4. Keep her in your hand as a wild resource and protect her by keeping her out of danger, unless she absolutely must jump into the fray as a tragic, last-resort chump block to absorb a lethal overkill swing for me. I follow a strict moral code, but I know exactly when to charmingly vanish into the shadows. Don't be afraid to flip me down to Remy LeBeau; in Alter-Ego, I use my natural charm to manipulate the villain's schemes while I heal up and stack new energy via my Charged Card. Any threat the villain manages to place during my absence is easily wiped away afterward with Creole Charmer. Make sure to also trigger The Best Offense... right before a massive villain phase to generate temporary hit points through my blinding reflexes, ensuring I stay untouchable even during those grueling Stand Alone rounds. “The game is over, mon ami. And the house always wins.